Attachments for can openers adapted to interrupt a stream of gas charged fluid discharging from the punctured can



H. J. MIDDLETON Jan. 1, 1957 ATTACHMENTS FOR CANOfENERS ADAPTED To INTERRUPT A STREAM 0F GAS UHARGED/ FLUID DISCHARGING FROM THE PUNC'IURED CAN Filed July 13, 1953 INVENTOR. HERBERT .1. MIDDLETON Wing A r TOR/V5) United States Patent Office Patented Jan. 1, 1957 ATTACHIVIENTS FOR CAN OPENERS ADAPTED T INTERRUPT A STREAM OF GAS CHARGED gklblrlD DISCHARGING FROM THE PUNCTURED Herbert J. Middleton, San Francisco, Calif. Application July 13, 1953, Serial No. 367,481

1 Claim. (Cl. 30-1) This invention relates to improvements in can openers, and more particularly to attachments for can openers adapted to interrupt a stream of gas charged fluid discharging from the punctured can.

It is a common problem encountered in opening a can of beer or like beverage, for the user of the can opener to be squirted or sprayed by the contents discharging from the punctured container. This is particularly true in instances where the can has been moved about or subjected to temperature changes tending to build up gas pressure within the can. The present invention contemplates the provision of a shield member arranged to be carried by a conventional can opening device of the character having a bead engaging member, an overlying triangular shaped blade, and handle as, for example, described in U. S. Patent No. 1,996,550.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a can opener with means arranged to interrupt fluid or objects spewing from a can and to thus prevent the fluid from wetting persons or objects located in the near vicinity of the can. It is a further object of the invention to provide a spray shield for attachment to a can opener to trap a spray of fluid emitted from the can upon opening thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a shield for can openers for the purposes above mentioned and which may carry advertising messages and thereby alford a new advertising media.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent upon review of the following specification and drawings in which corresponding parts in the several views bear the same reference numeral.

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a shield member.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of a conventional can opener fitted with a shield member and showing the shield can partly broken away in section.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modification of the shield member attached to a can opener.

Fig. 5 is a bottom plan view of a further modification of a shield member attached to a can opener.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the modification of Fig. 5 attached to a conventional can opener.

Fig. 7 is a side elevational view of a further modification of a shield member attached to a conventional can opener.

Fig. 8 is a front elevational view of the modification of Figs. 5 and 6.

The invention comprises essentially a shield member adapted to overlie the can piercing end of a can opener to interrupt the stream of fluid emitted from the can upon puncturing.

The shield member illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is indicated generally at A and consists of a paddle shaped member in plan view provided with a depending peripheral flange or lip portion 2. The purpose of the lip is to trap emitted spray to prevent it from dispersing laterally after contact with the underside of the shield A. The spray shield member is provided with a shank portion indicated generally at 3 which in turn is provided with a plurality of spaced parallel slits 4 and 5 with enlarged ends 6. The handle portion 7 of a can opener in dicated generally at B may be inserted through the slits to hold the shield in a position overlying the blade 8 of the can opener. More specifically, the can opener is of the type described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,956,550 and comprises a triangular shaped blade 8, a bead engaging portion and a handle.

In operation the handle of the opener is inserted through the slits 4 and 5, as aforesaid, so that the shield A overlies the blade 8 in the position indicated in Fig. 3. When the opener blade 8 pierces the can, indicated generally at C, any emitted spray is interrupted by the shield A and trapped by the lip 2 which surrounds a substantial part of the paddle shaped shield.

The shield may be formed of any suitable material such as a flexible plastic material, rubber, heavy paper material or the like and may take varying shapes.

The modification illustrated in Fig. 4 shows a rectangu lar spray shield 12 provided with a shank 13 connected to the can opener handle 7 by means of an adhesive coating indicated at 14. A depending lip 15 is provided around the marginal edges of the shield 12.

The modification of Figs. 5, 6 and 8 illustrates a hollow frustro-conical spray shield 22 provided with a can opener receiving aperture 23. The bottom of the aperture 23 is defined by spaced flange members 24 which secure the can opener to the shield 22 and allows the shield to tilt vertically a limited distance with respect to the can opener as indicated by broken lines in Fig. 6.

The modification of Fig. 7 illustrates a spray shield 32 provided with a hollow sleeve-like shank portion 33 arranged to he slipped over the handle 7 of a can opener to secure the shield removably to the opener.

It is understood that the shield member may be arranged to carry advertising copy and the shield may be arranged as a part of the can opener or provided as an attachment for a conventional opener.

The invention has been described here in considerable detail by reference to example of use and illustration of structure but it is understood that modifications may be practiced within the spirit of the invention and scope of the appended claim:

I claim:

An attachment for a can piercing can-opener having a blade and handle, comprising; a substantially flat impervious spray shield formed of flexible non-absorbent material to overlie the blade, said shield having an enlarged portion to interrupt spray emitted from the top of a can pierced by the opener and having a shank portion and a downwardly depending marginal lip provided around said enlarged portion of said shield, and means comprising spaced slits provided in the shank portion of said shield to attach removably said shield to a can opener.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,077,675 Cross Apr. 20, 1937 2,080,090 Mumaugh May 11, 1937 2,082,402 Kusnarowis June 1, 1937 2,280,336 Maihack Apr. 21, 1942 2,675,612 Waterhouse Apr. 20, 1954 

